Great Loop: Sarasota to Cayo Costa
February 1st to 4th, 2022
After several weeks of cold weather, with nights in the 30's, the warm weather has finally returned. Cayo Costa has been marvelous! We love it! We arrived here 67 miles after departing Sara Bay Marina, near Sarasota. The first 24 miles was primarily in the "ditch", the Intra-Coastal Waterway. It was slow going with many no wake zones as well a 2 bridges which required an opening. Fortunately, we arrived at those just after larger boats and they had requested openings. By the time we got to Venice Florida, we were tired of doing the "ditch", so we head out into the gulf so we could cruise a little faster. We wanted to arrive at Cayo Costa prior to dark and to do that we had to move faster than we could in the ditch. So off we went! The gulf waters were pleasant and we arrived in plenty of time to set the anchor and pour a glass of wine with which to enjoy the sunset.
Beth with her sunset glass of wine
This portion of the west coast of Florida is populated with many islands. This makes for a perfect cruising experience, especially when the weather is warm with light to moderate winds. We were both grinning from ear to ear. This was what we were hoping to find. Endless sand beaches just begging to be walked. Dinghy explorations of mangrove enclaves to be explored. Manatees to observe. Osprey soaring overhead. Tortoises chewing the vegetation along the trails. And best of all, afternoon naps!
A tortoise with which Beth made friends
Our dinghy became our passport to local exploration. Amy Marie was our base camp. We plopped the dinghy, added the outboard motor, it started on the third pull, and off we went. So far the out board is cooperating. If you don't care for them properly, they can be a real source of frustration. Fortunately, our little 2.5hp Mercury has been a work horse.
On Cayo Costa Island
The first sign you see when landing on the island
Beth walked ahead on the trails to scare the alligators away
You can rent primitive cabins in which to stay
Island Girl found her perfect beach
Island boy was pretty happy too!
On our way back to Amy Marie we paddled into a "Manatee Hole" in the island
We found a mother manatee and her offspring just drifting along
The manatees must have been napping
We were careful to not disturb
So it was time to return to Amy Marie for our own naps and perhaps some reading time. In all we've lingered her for three days as it is such a lovely location. We've talked with other boaters who describe this as one of their favorite spots to chill out and relax. We can second that opinion. It is special.
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